Wednesday, September 01, 2010

THE Managing Director, Cisco Nigeria, Mr. Richard Edet, has said that setting up a meeting with its Telepresence is as simple as making a phone call, report CHARLES OKOH & GERALDINE OKOLIE.

He said when participants sit down at a conference table in a Cisco Telepresence room other participants appear to be sitting across the table, in life size, no matter where they are located in the world.

Edet who stated this in Lagos, last week during the unveiling of Cisco TelePresence 3,000 Series designed for large group meetings, also said his core motivation in office would be to empower as many Nigerians as possible through employment and capacity building.

He also said there has been steady increase between 2006 and now as more Nigerians have been employed directly while several others have been engaged through its partners in the country.

“Today through our network academy programme we have empowered and trained a lot of employable people, ranging from children and school leavers and many more. We have the largest number of network academies in Nigeria. Our next mission is to establish what we call community development centres. These centres will be equipped with modern technology to provide access to people, especially in the rural areas. These projects are very dear to my heart,” he said.

Disclosing some of the unique features embedded in the service, Edet explained that the collaborative solutions would not only bridge the distance and reduce travel costs but would as well make the ‘real life’ meeting experience delivered through ultra –high definition video that reveals subtle facial expressions conveying nonverbal reactions, as well as allowing participants interact as they would in person.

The Cisco Telepresence solution which offers a live, face-to-face communication experience enables people from different offices and cities around the world to meet virtually using the power of the network allows meeting participants to share content, create high-quality video recordings of events, consult with experts as well as deliver powerful personalized services, all using the network for an immersive in-person experience.

In addition, Edet said the Cisco TelePresence solution would have a transformational impact on all sectors of the Nigerian society from healthcare and education to safety and citizen inclusion.

“Healthcare professionals, for instance, will soon be able to collaborate more easily, regardless of location, thereby improving both the time and the quality of care delivered and patients will be able to access physicians and specialists from remote areas”, he noted.

Identifying frequent power outages as some of the challenges facing it, he said his company has since been working closely with Just Standout Limited, to provide alternative power solutions and energy against power cuts.

During an interactive session at the TelePresence experience, Chief Technology Officer of Cisco and Emerging Markets, Mr. Den Sullivan who spoke from Cisco’s office in Belgium disclosed that the deployment of Cisco technology can now be increased significantly throughout sub-Saharan African region with the arrival of submarine cables to offer bandwidth at affordable prices.

He noted that “Cisco’s vision is to be the leading enabler of ICT and broadband acceleration in emerging markets through innovative, scalable, high-value technology solutions.

Sullivan said the technology will not only improve the way businesses are done in Africa but also help make vital services like healthcare and education more accessible to those who need them most.